Iran’s President: Aleppo Liberation, Ceasefire Major Steps toward Peace in Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hailed the recent liberation of Syria’s Aleppo from foreign-backed terrorists and a nationwide ceasefire brokered by Iran, Russia and Turkey as two key steps in restoring peace and stability to the Arab country.
“The goal of all friends of Syria is to restore peace and stability to the country so that its people can easily decide on their own future,” President Rouhani said in a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in Tehran on Wednesday.
He described the liberation of Aleppo and the recent truce in Syria as “two key steps toward establishing peace and stability” in the war-hit country and expressed the hope that the upcoming talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana would serve as a beginning of real Syrian-Syrian negotiations.
Rouhani went on to say that enemies of the region had never thought that such successes would be achieved in Syria.
He also reiterated Tehran’s continued support for Damascus and said the Iranian government and nation have always stood by the Syrian people and will continue to do so.
Khamis, for his part, said the victory in Aleppo was the result of the resistance of the Syrian nation and the unconditional support provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.
Diplomatic efforts to end fighting in Syria have gained momentum in recent weeks with the announcement of a ceasefire in the Arab country earlier this month.
It will be followed by a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and foreign-sponsored opposition groups in Astana on January 23.